The Hawaii State Teachers Association (HSTA) and the state have reached agreement on a proposed new labor contract that would significantly boost starting pay for entry-level teachers and ensure annual pay increases between 3% and 5% for most teachers in the ranks, for a total of 14.5% over four years.

It’s a good deal for teachers and for the state and its residents, and should be embraced by the teachers, as it has been by Gov. Josh Green.

Improving salaries for new public school teachers should attract more educators to the ranks. That’s a game-changing feature of the proposed contract.

The $577 million deal raises starting pay for both entry-level teachers and “nontraditional” teachers, often experienced professionals who change careers: They stand to have starting annual pay go up by nearly $13,000 — from about $38,000 to $50,000 or more.

These salary increases are necessary not only because they make teachers’ positions more competitive, but because at the entry level, they have been “unconscionable,” as Green stated. The governor noted that at Hawaii’s current $38,000 starting pay for public school teachers, a single-income household of three would live below the federally determined poverty level.

Under the agreement, income for the average teacher would rise a little over $10,000 between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2027 — fully justified, because Hawaii’s average teacher salaries have longed lagged national standards, and fall further short when the state’s high cost of living is considered.

A new top pay level would benefit the most senior classroom teachers, who’ve reached the top of the pay scale. The 4,000 or so who are eligible, out of 13,700 public school teachers statewide, would see income boosted by 4% to as much as $97,000. This is a valuable incentive to keep highly trained and experienced teachers in the classroom.

The pay increases would increase teacher satisfaction and security, while serving an overriding need: to attract new teachers and keep experienced educators on the job. Hawaii typically has to fill about 1,000 teacher positions each year; the COVID-19 pandemic and its related school closures and stresses caused a wave of departures and retirements between 2020 and 2022, making Hawaii’s quest to fill positions all the more urgent.

Schools nationwide also are struggling to fill teaching ranks, and they are raising pay to be competitive. Hawaii can’t ignore this national trend, which acknowledges that raising pay for teachers benefits schools and supports a state’s economy. Multiple studies have shown that companies are more likely to invest in more educated areas, those with a secure and healthy workforce.

Of course, Hawaii’s budget is not infinite, and so it’s important that the state maintain a close connection between its needs, its available funding, and its spending on labor. On Wednesday, the Hawaii Government Employees Association called on the Department of Education (DOE) to address issues of pay inequality, because some teachers’ salaries have gone higher than administrative positions. This issue needs to be addressed, but wage disparity alone should not be a reason to raise administrators’ pay — it’s not unreasonable for a highly trained, highly effective classroom teacher with advanced degrees and years of experience to earn more.

It’s important to recognize that teachers belong to a special class of public workers, charged with educating the next generation of Hawaii’s workers and leaders. Their work in the classroom, and with their students, will have a uniquely profound effect on Hawaii’s future.

A vote is scheduled for April 26, and the agreement must be ratified by more than half of teachers to take effect. Teachers should join in embracing this akamai offer — and then work cooperatively with the DOE to provide the most effective education possible for Hawaii’s students, elevating students, too, to the highest standards.